I Promise
by Jenna D
Summary: Sora gets sick after a party, and after that, everything spirals downhill. Taiora.
1. ~Chapter 1~

D/C: I don't own Digimon. There. I said it.   
  
A/N: Here's a little story I came up with while I was lying in bed, much like Sora will be, except it was my cat behind me.   
  
I Promise  
  
THURSDAY 11:00 PM  
  
It was late, but something woke Sora up. It was late, but she stayed awake and read her book for an hour. At midnight, she put away her book, turned off the light, and pulled her blankets up to her chin, falling promptly asleep.  
  
FRIDAY 10:35 AM  
  
The next morning was bright, and sun filtered through the blinds on the windows of Sora's room. She was awakened by the sound of the birds outside, and then the morning traffic. Sora opened her eyes and stared at her door. Something wasn't right. Sora could have sworn she'd closed the door when she went to bed, and now it was halfway open. Through the open door, she could see someone else's shoes were at the front door. A pair of blue and white Adidas. 'Who wears shoes like that?' she thought. 'Tai? Huh?'   
  
Sora felt something shift behind her. She rolled over onto her back, and nearly had a heart attack. Lying on her bed was Tai. 'What on earth is he doing here?' she wondered. He was fully clothed and lay on top of the blankets, so Sora was sure they hadn't done anything stupid. But what was he doing here in the first place?   
  
Sora lay in bed for a few moments, just watching Tai's chest move up and down as he breathed in and out. Soon, she got bored and quietly slipped out of bed, then tiptoed into the kitchen so as not to wake Tai. On the kitchen table was some schoolwork, done in Tai's handwriting, and next to the sink were two glasses with a little bit of something that smelled like orange juice left in them. Suddenly hungry, Sora opened the fridge and got an apple.   
  
Pulling a soft blue housecoat over her tank top and flannel pyjama pants, Sora wandered onto the balcony. She leaned on the railing and stared out over the city. Her watch read 10:36 AM. Several thoughts went through her head, and she took a few minutes to digest them and the apple. A soft breeze blew Sora's hair in her face, but she ignored it. Something felt weird.   
  
Sora didn't jump when a hand slowly pulled her hair out of her face. She knew it was Tai. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Good morning," he murmured.  
  
"Hey," she replied.   
  
"How'd you sleep?" he asked.  
  
"Pretty good," she answered. "Can I ask you something Tai?"  
  
"Yeah, anything," he said, gently kissing her neck.   
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"You don't remember?"   
  
"I just remember waking up around eleven, then going back to sleep around midnight, and waking up with you next to me," Sora confessed.   
  
"Do you remember what happened before going to bed?"   
  
"Not really. What was last night?"  
  
"The school dance was last night," Tai said. "We went together, remember?"  
  
"I remember going, I remember being there, but I don't remember going home..." Sora trailed off.   
  
"Come inside, I'll tell you everything," Tai offered. He led Sora into the Takenouchi's living room and they sat on the couch. "Some pretty weird stuff happened last night Sora. I picked you up for the dance, and then we got there around six thirty. Everything was going pretty good, until around eight. Then you started acting a bit off..."  
  
~*Flashback to Thursday 8:42 PM*~  
  
Sora fell over, and Tai caught her. "Woah, are you okay?"  
  
"Huh?" Sora said. "I'm fine, fine. Just tired." Sora was swaying and starting to talk a bit funny. Tai knew she wasn't drunk; there was no alcohol at this party. But something wasn't right.  
  
"Come sit down Sora, I think something's wrong," Tai suggested.  
  
"Noothing is wrong, Taai," Sora protested, before promptly passing out into Tai's arms.   
  
"Aww, shit," Tai muttered. He scooped Sora up into his arms and carried her out of the school to his car. He buckled her into the front seat and drove her home.   
  
Halfway there, Sora woke up. "Huh? Tai, wherre are we goinng?"  
  
"I'm taking you home Sora," Tai explained. "You're not well."  
  
"I'm fine," she said stubbornly.   
  
"No, you're not," Tai told her.   
  
"Well, here's my house key," Sora muttered, taking a keychain out of her pocket and putting it on the dashboard, before passing out again.   
  
Later, when Tai had gotten Sora safely home, he laid Sora on her bed and let her sleep. Tai waited around until she woke up. He spent the time while she slept thinking.   
  
'What on earth happened to Sora back there?' he wondered. 'It was like she was drunk or stoned or... stoned! Maybe someone put something in her drink. Shit... aww, man, I hope she's okay..."  
  
Sora woke up thirsty half an hour later. Tai got both of them some juice and they talked for a little while, but Sora fell asleep again. Tai put the glasses next to the sink and against the counter, silent. He couldn't stand it anymore. It was late, and he figured he should go home. He scrawled a note to Sora and left it on the kitchen table, then went to check on Sora. He stood in the doorway and watched her sleep. Before leaving, he kissed Sora's cheek. Tai closed the door to the apartment as silently as possible.   
  
10:00 PM  
  
"Hey Tai, you're home late," Kari commented as her brother came in the door.   
  
"I had to stay with Sora for a while," Tai explained, going into his room.   
  
"Did you have fun?" Kari asked.   
  
"For a while, yes," he answered. Tai grabbed a backpack and began throwing things into it.  
  
"What happened?"   
  
"She was feeling a little sick, so I brought her home early."  
  
Kari made a funny face. "Isn't her mom away for a few weeks?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So who's with her?" Kari demanded. Silence. "If she's sick you should be with her."   
  
"I know. I just have to grab a few things," Tai said, zipping up his backpack, "and I'm outta here."  
  
"How long are you staying over?" asked Kari.  
  
"Just overnight, I hope," Tai replied. "Don't worry Kari, Sora'll be fine." He kissed his sister's forehead and was out the door again.   
  
Tai nearly sped back to the Takenouchi's. He stayed up doing homework until midnight, checking on Sora every now and then. At 12:30 AM, finished all the homework he could stand, Tai crawled up on Sora's bed. He lay next to her, enjoying the simplicity of watching her slumber. Eventually Tai himself fell asleep, who knows when.   
  
FRIDAY 11:00 AM  
  
"...and then this morning," Tai said. "That's all, beginning to end."  
  
"That was confusing," Sora said quietly. She leaned her head against Tai's shoulder and closed her eyes.   
  
"Maybe so, but that's what happened," Tai murmured.   
  
Sora got up, still sleepy. "I'm gonna take a shower," she muttered, stumbling towards the bathroom.   
  
The warm water was inviting and relaxing. Sora stood under the spray and allowed herself to be enveolped by the steam. For some odd reason, unbeknownst to herself, she began to cry. Sora washed her hair, and just after she rinsed out the conditioner, a huge wave of nausea hit her and she nearly fell over. Sora sat in the tub and tried to stop her dizziness, but instead she found herself leaping out of the shower and bringing up everything she'd eaten in the past twelve hours into the toilet.   
  
Shora shut the lid and flushed, then leaned against the bathtub, just thinking. A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought.  
  
"Sora? Are you okay?" It was Tai.   
  
"Um, no, hold on a second," she called back. Sora grabbed a towel, wrapped it around herself and sat down again before the nausea attacked. "Come in."  
  
Tai cautiously opened the door. "Hey, what happened?" Tai shut off the water and sat next to Sora.   
  
"I threw up," she muttered. "I feel REALLY sick. I'm sorry."  
  
"No, no, it's okay," he told her quietly. Sora started crying again, her face in her hands. "Aww, come here."  
  
"No way, I'm soaked," Sora protested.   
  
"I don't mind." Tai put his arms around Sora and held her wet bedy close. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity.   
  
"I should get dressed," Sora decided. She stood up on shaky legs and grabbed a bathrobe. She pulled it over her shoulder, went into her bedroom and shut the door.   
  
Tai went to the living room. 'Sora was right, she was soaked,' he thought. Now he was wet too, so he got another shirt out of his backpack, changed, and went out onto the balcony.  
  
Sora dressed slowly. She still felt a bti woozy and didn't want to throw up again. She pulled a blue t-shirt over her head and took her hair out from behind her neck. Sora wrapped her hair up in the towel like a turban, then put on a pair of old jeans. Grabbing her hairbrush, Sora found Tai outside.   
  
"Feeling better?" he asked.  
  
"A little," she whispered. "Come inside." Sora went back in and sat on her couch, taking her hair down to brush it.  
  
"Hey, let me do that," Tai offered. He took the brush from her and ran it gently through Sora's shoulder length blonde hair. "You just relax today. You're not doing anything you don't have to until you're feeling better."  
  
Sora closed her eyes and smiled. 'Tai's good at brushing hair,' she thought. 'Then again, he should be, with all the hair he's got.' "What do you think is wrong with me again?"  
  
"I think someone might have put something in your drink," Tai said. "A drug of some sort."  
  
"Hmm... That would explain how shitty I feel right now," said Sora.   
  
Tai placed the brush on the coffee table and hugged Sora from behind. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you," he assured her.   
  
Sora whispered, "Thank you."   
  
"Hey, it's no problem," Tai said. "It's what I'm supposed to do."  
  
"I don't know of a lot of people's boyfriends who would do this," Sora admitted.  
  
"I like to think I'm more than just your boyfriend, Sora," he told her, facing her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "I hope you agree that I'm your best friend Sora. No matter what, I promise."  
  
SATURDAY 6:45 PM  
  
That evening found the two on the couch, Sora snuggled in Tai's arms, fast asleep. Tai stroked her hair and stared out the window at the sunset filled the sky with brilliant oranges, reds and purples. Everything about this moment felt right, and there wasn't anything that could spoil this moment except Sora getting sick again.  
  
Which she did.   
  
Without warning, Sora leapt from the couch and sprinted to the bathroom. Tai followed slowly. He shuddered at the sound of Sora vomiting; he'd never liked that noise and doubted he'd ever minutely get used to it. Tai got there just when she'd finished. Sora hadn't been able to keep anything down the whole day. She'd tried to eat a little, since she was starving, but it all came racing back up her esophogus and to its doom in the porcelain throne.   
  
"This sucks," Sora muttered.   
  
"I know," Tai agreed. "I think you should see a doctor or something."  
  
"No way," Sora protested. "I just wanna stay at home."  
  
"But, Sora, what if this won't wear off just on its own, you know?" Tai suggested. "Maybe there's something you can do to feel better sooner."  
  
"I don't want to go," Sora said stubbornly.   
  
"If you throw up one more time," Tai warned, "I'm taking you to the doctor, whether or not I have to drag you kicking and screaming."   
  
"All right," Sora agreed. "I'm going to bed." She wandered to her room, changed into her pyjamas and climbed under the covers.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
To Be Continued... Very soon... I hope.   



	2. ~Chapter 2~

Sorry it took so long to get this part out, you see, I'm writing a novel, several fanfictions, and helping a friend out with her story (which, I might add, is NOT GAY Lawra!!! You know who you are!), plus, if I get an idea in my head I can't leave it alone, so it takes me a while. Anyways, here it is. You know I don't own Digimon.   
  
  
I Promise Part 2  
  
SUNDAY 1:00 PM  
  
"Sora Takenouchi? The doctor will see you now."  
  
Sora got up and went to a room. She sat on the bed and watched the doctor after she was examined. Sora had never really liked Dr. Ohta. She always paused at the most climatic part of the sentence, never really told you everything that was going on, and her stethescope was freezing. Right now she was fiddling with papers and scribbling something on a chart. Sora raised an eyebrow. 'If she doesn't say something in the next sixty seconds...'   
  
"Well, Sora, I think I may know what's up," Dr. Ohta said.  
  
"What is it?"   
  
"I do believe this is a case of..." There was that annoying pause.   
  
"Of what?" Sora asked impatiently.   
  
"I think you may have been drugged. But I'll need to run some tests." Sora was handed a little jar. Urine sample, what fun. "We should know in a while. I'll phone you."   
  
"Thanks," Sora said, a bit awkwardly. She took the jar and went to the bathroom.   
  
"So, what'd she say?" Tai asked as they were leaving the doctor's office.   
  
"They have to run some tests, but she thinks you're right," Sora muttered.   
  
"Hmmm..." Tai didn't know what to say, then a light bulb went on in his head. "Hey, Sora, how about you come to my place for dinner tonight?"  
  
"I don't know... What would your mom say?"   
  
"You've been over a billion times before, I'm sure she'd be happy to see you," Tai said. "Besides, she'll probably make something normal."  
  
"Okay," Sora answered.   
  
  
5:00 PM  
  
"Sora! How nice to see you!" Mrs. Kamiya was ecstatic to see her son's girlfriend. Sora put on a smile and gave her a hug. She'd always liked Tai's family. Tai quietly asked his mom if Sora could stay for dinner. The definite answer was yes. Mrs. Kamiya, with that maternal intuition, noticed Sora looked a bit off. "Are you feeling all right Sora?"  
  
"I've got a bit of something, but I'll be okay," Sora answered.   
  
"Well, I'll make your favourite," Mrs. Kamiya decided, and went into the kitchen.   
  
Tai smiled at Sora, put an arm around her, and they went to the living room. Kari was on the couch, and was also happy to see Sora. While the girls engaged in a conversation about school, TV, and boys, Tai slipped off into the kitchen to talk to his mom.  
  
"Anything wrong Tai?" she asked.   
  
"Well, sorta," he said.   
  
"Can you tell me about it, or will someone get really mad?"   
  
"I don't know if Sora will," Tai answered.   
  
"Something's wrong with Sora?" Mrs. Kamiya inquired. "She does seem kinda sick. How long has that been going on? I know you've been over there almost the whole long weekend."  
  
"Since the dance on Thursday," he muttered.  
  
"You mean the night you came home close to midnight, then disappeared?" Mrs. Kamiya prompted. Tai nodded. "Where were you that night?"  
  
"I didn't want to leave Sora alone, so I stayed over there." Mrs. Kamiya gave Tai a look. "I stayed on the couch," he lied. "Honest."  
  
"I'll believe you," Mrs. Kamiya said skeptically. "So, what happened to Sora?"  
  
"I think she was drugged at the dance," Tai said, "and ever since then she's been sick. All she wants to do is sleep, and she can't keep anything down. I finally made Sora see her doctor this afternoon, and the doctor agrees with me, but they have to do some tests and stuff. She seems to be getting better though."   
  
"Better enough to go to school?" she inquired.   
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You're not skipping Tai," Mrs. Kamiya told him.  
  
"Then what about Sora? Her mom's not back until the end of the week," Tai protested.   
  
"Don't worry, I'll think of something," Tai's mom said. "Now go, you have a guest. Kari can't entertain her forever."  
  
Tai laughed. "They're teenage girls, they can talk forever." But Tai went to hang out with them anyway.  
  
The girls were laughing their heads off. Sora was smiling, and it was if she'd never been sick at all.   
  
"I can't believe he did that!!" Sora laughed. "That's hilarious!"  
  
"Hey, are you two talking 'bout me?" Tai asked.  
  
"No, Tai, honest," Kari said. "I was just telling Sora about gym class last week."  
  
"Oh, you mean when Davis tried to do a slam dunk and nearly landed on three other people? That is funny," said Tai. "He's just lucky nobody was hurt."  
  
"Yeah, then T.K. actually did dunk it and man, was Davis jealous!" Kari giggled.   
  
Sora smiled. The Kamiya's had been like a second home for her, and the Takenouchi's a second for Tai, ever since the two were little. Sora remembered back nine years to before they were friends. Tai had thrown up in her hat, and Sora remembered phoning him and leaving an angry message on his machine. ("I know it was you who threw up in my hat Tai Kamiya!!!") But Tai felt really bad about it afterwards, and they became best friends, rarely an argument between them. Snapping out of her trapese down memory lane, Sora settled in on the couch, relaxed as usual.   
  
"So, Sora, what's Tai been up to at school," Kari asked slyly, "since he never tells us anything other than 'Fine?' "  
  
"The usual, Kari, the usual," Sora answered, deciding to tell Kari what she wanted to know but leave enough to make her annoy Tai for at least a week, like she always did. "School is school. There are those annoying little airheads always flirting with him..." She gave Tai a mocking look. "...but I don't think he notices."  
  
Tai gulped. 'Oh, shit,' he thought. 'Noo....'  
  
Tai's dad came home then. Mrs. Kamiya pulled her husband into the kitchen and they had a long whispered conversation. Tai looked at Sora. The look on Sora's face said she knew they were talking about her. Tai took Sora's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.   
  
Kari looked at them both with a strange expression. "What happened?" she asked. Tai nodded to Sora, who explained the whole thing to Kari. Kari reached out and gave Sora a hug. "Don't worry Sora. You'll be okay."  
  
"Yeah, I know I'll be okay," Sora said quietly, "but what if the person who drugged me also did it to other girls? What if they're not okay?"  
  
"Then you should go to school and get all the girls that went to the dance together, and see if they were sick like you," Kari suggested. "It also might help to inform the principal and the teachers."  
  
"Kari's right," Tai said. "If you get the staff on your side, it'll be easier to find out who the culprit is."  
  
"Yeah," Sora agreed. "I think I'll do that."  
  
"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Kamiya called. Sora joined the Kamiyas for spaghetti and meatballs. The five of them ate in silence for a while, until Tai's dad cleared his throat.  
  
"Tai."  
  
"Yes Dad?" Tai said nervously. Half of him was praying that they'd come up with something for Sora, the other worrying what it could be.   
  
"Well, we talked about it, and," Mr. Kamiya said, and he looked at Sora, "if Sora wants to, she can stay with us until her mom comes home." Tai let out a relieved sigh.  
  
"You don't have to," Sora protested. "I'll be okay."  
  
"Tai made it very clear to me that he doesn't want you to be alone," Mrs. Kamiya pointed out.   
  
"Where would I sleep?" Sora asked.  
  
"In my room," Kari offered. "I don't mind."  
  
"All right," Sora said. "Thank you."   
  
Tai reached out beside him and took Sora's hand. "We'll go get your stuff later," he said.  
  
7:30 PM  
  
Sora unlocked the door to her apartment and went to her room to pack a bag.   
  
"You know, you should call your mom," Tai said.  
  
"She doesn't have to know about this," Sora mumbled, throwing clothes and stuff into her bag.  
  
"She should know where you are," Tai said, standing in the doorway to Sora's bedroom.  
  
"Mom can call me on the cell," she answered.  
  
"You told me that was only for if she couldn't reach you here," Tai said, "and she knows when you're out and stuff. Besides, if you're still sick when she comes back, she's gonna want to know why."  
  
"All right, all right, I'll phone her," Sora sighed. She sat on her bed, reached for the phone... and it rang. "Hello?"  
  
"Sora, it's Dr. Ohta's office calling. We have the results of your tests back."  
  
"All ready? When do you want me to come?"  
  
"Dr. Ohta would like to see you immediately, if that's not a problem."  
  
"Oh, it's no problem, I'll be right over," Sora said. "Bye." She got up and went to the door. "They have my test results and they want to see me immediately. I'll phone mom afterwards."  
  
Tai narrowed his eyes, but agreed anyway.   
  
7:45 PM  
  
"Well, Sora, you were... drugged, with roofies, among other things," Dr. Ohta said.  
  
Sora blinked in disbelief. "What? Shit. Well, how does this stuff usually happen?" she asked. Tai put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.   
  
"I find it odd that this would happen at a high school dance," Dr. Ohta said. "Normally it occurs in bars, and the victim... can't make decisions and the one who gives the drugs will often assult the victim. That's why roofies is known as the 'date rape' drug."   
  
"Date rape..." Sora mouthed the words. "You don't think -- Tai wouldn't do anything like that."  
  
"It is a possibility that he could have... done this," Dr. Ohta said.   
  
Sora went from shock to anger in three seconds. "He wouldn't! I know him! He wouldn't touch drugs and stuff like that!"   
  
Tai sat there and watched as Sora defended him. He didn't want to interrupt her in any way, so he let her go on and on until she finally calmed down. "She's right you know," he muttered. "She wouldn't talk to me if I even thought about using drugs."   
  
"Even so, Sora, here's a prescription," Dr. Ohta said, handing her a slip of paper. "You'll only need to take it for a week, and then you shouldn't experience any more symptoms."   
  
"Thank you," Sora grumbled, taking the prescription and leaving the office with Tai.  
  
"So, now what?" Tai asked.  
  
"I go get this filled, go back home and finish packing, call Mom, go to your place," Sora decided. "I can't believe she thought you'd do such a thing."  
  
"Neither can I, but then again, she doesn't know me," Tai said. "Don't let Kari keep you up all night."  
  
"She won't," Sora said. "I'm a pretty sound sleeper, and with the way I've been lately..."  
  
"Hey, you kept dinner down today," Tai noticed.   
  
"You're right," Sora said. "I do feel kinda better."  
  
"You've gotta go call your mom," Tai said.  
  
8:30 PM  
  
"Hi Mom."  
  
"Hi Sora! Is anything wrong?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Well, I've been kinda sick lately, and Tai made me go to the doctor today."  
  
"And..."  
  
"And they ran some tests, and it turns out I was drugged at the dance on Thursday."  
  
"What?"  
  
"With roofies. Someone was out there to hurt me, and..." Sora began to cry.   
  
"Who were you with?"  
  
"Tai. He's stayed with me the whole time. And it wasn't him, I know it."  
  
"Well, what did you mean when you said you'd been sick?"  
  
"All I wanted to do all weekend is sleep, the only meal I didn't throw up was tonight's dinner, and just all over rotten. And I couldn't remember anything past a certain point."  
  
"So what are you going to do?"  
  
"Well, Tai took me to his place for dinner tonight and explained it to his parents. He really doesn't want me to be alone while I'm sick-"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"-and his parents said I could stay over there until you come home. Is that okay with you?"  
  
"If you're sick I'm coming home right now!"  
  
"No, Mom, you don't have to. I want you to stay there. How has it been going?"  
  
"Well, you know Rosie?"  
  
"Rosie?"  
  
"That pink germanium we didn't think would make it?"  
  
"Oh, Rosie! Yeah!"  
  
"Well, I entered her in a contest and she got second place!"  
  
"All right! Wow, we didn't even think she'd make it through the night! That's great Mom!"  
  
"You did a great job with her Sora."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes, you. You're the one that insisted we try to save her. You're the one that took her inside at the slightest hint of a temperature drop."  
  
"I guess I did! Wow, that's great Mom. Well, I gotta go."  
  
"Okay. Don't you give the Kamiyas any trouble."  
  
"I won't Mom. You know their phone number."  
  
"Bye Sora. I love you."  
  
"Love you too Mom. Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Sora hung up the phone. "It's okay for me to stay."  
  
"What was all that about Rosie?" Tai asked, confused. Sora explained to Tai about the geranium. "You took good care of it, I take it. I can't believe you could have ever thought the Crest of Love wasn't for you."  
  
"I can't either. Come on, let's go." Sora grabbed her stuff and they went to Tai's apartment.  
  
MONDAY 7:25 AM  
  
Sora woke up and stretched out on the spare bed that had been put in Kari's room for her. She looked over and saw Kari sitting in front of a mirror brushing her hair. Kari was already dressed for school, and Gatomon was chasing a pipe cleaner around on the floor.   
  
"Good morning Sora," Kari said. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Yes, actually, I did," Sora answered with a yawn.   
  
"Good. Think you're up to school today?" she asked.   
  
"Yeah, I think so. I'm gonna try anyway," Sora decided. "Having fun Gatomon?"  
  
The cat-like Digimon stopped dead in her tracks, embarrassed to be seen jumping around like a crazy being. "Um, err..."  
  
Sora sat up slowly and laughed. "I won't tell, Gatomon."   
  
"Good," Gatomon said in her I-have-the-attitude voice. She jumped up on Kari's bed and curled up in a little ball.   
  
Kari got up and left the room. "I'd better go see what concotion Mom has for breakfast," she grinned, leaving the room and shutting the door tightly.   
  
Sora got dressed in her green school uniform and brushed her hair before going into the kitchen. Breakfast was normal, everything went normal, until she go to school.  
  
10:37 AM  
  
Sora noticed a lot of girls were away that day, and most of the ones that were there seemed kinda sick. One of them, Kyoko, came up to Sora and asked why she was at school.   
  
"Why shouldn't I be?" was Sora's reply.   
  
"After what happened at the dance on Thursday I wouldn't expect you to be back," Kyoko said.  
  
"Well, I'm better now. Did anyone else get sick?" Sora asked.  
  
The girl rattled off a few names, including herself. Sora asked what the symptoms were, and they were identical to her own. Sora told Kyoko what had happened at the doctor's the day before, and she let out a gasp.  
  
"Do you think it's possible that happened to all of us too?"   
  
"Perhaps. I think we should talk to the principal about it. Maybe then we can catch the guy who did it," Sora suggested.  
  
"Good idea. Lunch today, we'll go for it," Kyoko agreed.   
  
  
And that's all for part 2. Stay tuned.... 


	3. ~Chapter 3~

Part Three, finally in existance! I'm sorry I took so long in writing it, I just wanted it to be really really good. So, please Read and Review!   
  
  
MONDAY 12:15 PM  
  
Lunch came around and Kyoko and Sora were in the principal's office. Their principal was a stern man by the name of Mr. Morimoto, with dark eyes and a receding hairline. After their story was told, he sat back in his chair and gave the girls a skeptical look.   
  
"What are you trying to prove?" Mr. Morimoto asked.  
  
"That someone in this school is sick enough to do something like this," Kyoko said.  
  
"I noticed a lot of girls who went to the dance were absent today," Sora pointed out. "And that those who were here seemed kinda sick, including Kyoko."  
  
Mr. Morimoto gave the girl's words a thought. "Let me propose something to you two," he said, leaning forward and looking them in the eyes. "If I help you in catching this... person, you two will lead the operation. I'll just be the authority figure. You'll talk to the students, and you'll make the plans for it. Got it?"  
  
"Yes," Sora said.   
  
"Good. You have until Wednesday to make a proposition which I will review. Then we'll discuss this matter further," Mr. Morimoto said. It was obvious that this meeting was over. Sora and Kyoko stood up, shook hands with the principal and left the office.  
  
Outside, Kyoko burst out laughing. "I was so nervous in there!" She leaned against the wall, laughing like a madwoman.  
  
"Can you believe how formal we were in there?" Sora exclaimed. "I can't!"   
  
Tai wandered by and stopped when he saw Sora and Kyoko outside the office. "Hey, what's so funny you two?"  
  
"We just talked to Mr. Morimoto about... the drugs," Sora told him quietly. She and Kyoko sobered up quicky at the reminder.   
  
"And that's funny?" Tai questioned.  
  
"We were laughing at the way we acted in Mr. Morimoto's office," Kyoko explained. "Excruciatingly formal and stiff."  
  
"Riiiiiigght," Tai said, nodding and making a funny face. Then, changing the subject, he asked, "You still coming home with me Sora?"   
  
"Sure am," she answered, smiling after Tai kissed her quickly on the lips.   
  
"Great. You know where to meet me," he said. "See ya." Tai walked casually down the hall.   
  
Kyoko was almost green. "You are so lucky Sora," Kyoko sighed.   
  
"Why do you think that?" Sora asked. She began walking to her locker.   
  
"You've got Tai Kamiya for a boyfriend!" she said.   
  
"Your point?" Sora inquired, spinning the dial on her lock.  
  
"He's the hottest guy in school, in my opinion anyway," Kyoko gushed. "And he's such a great guy too..."  
  
Sora smiled, embarassed that her friend was saying this. Kyoko went on and on. Will she ever shut up? Sora thought. She could tell that Kyoko was jealous, jealous, jealous, and it was driving her nuts. Kyoko was trying to make it sound like Tai was a perfect being, nothing less than a God or, heaven forbid, a Titan. Sure, Tai was wonderful: he was caring, energetic, happy, he had a great smile and man, was he an amazing kisser.  
  
But everyone had their faults, and Tai's could fill a book or two. As she pulled a few books from her locker, Sora remembered all the times in DigiWorld when she had to stop Tai from doing something stupid. He was a bit careless and a little overconfident, and, of course, he was a guy. What more explanation did THAT need?   
  
Kyoko paused to take a breath before staring up on the litany of Reasons Why Tai Kamiya Is The Coolest Guy On The Planet, and Sora used that as an opportunity to put her two cents in.   
  
"You make him sound like an all-powerful being," Sora laughed.   
  
"Don't you think that?" Kyoko asked. "You ARE dating him."  
  
"Kyoko, I've known Tai almost my entire life," Sora told her. "I know almost everything about him. That's a blessing and a curse all in one."  
  
"A curse? Come on Sora!" Kyoko said.   
  
"Cut it out Kyoko," Sora hissed. "I can see you getting greener by the second." Kyoko opened and closed her mouth as if she was going to say something, but no sound came out. Sora slammed her locker shut and clicked the lock closed. "I'll see you later." Sora walked away from Kyoko and went to her next class.   
  
TUESDAY 8:15 PM  
  
Tai and Sora were in the park, sitting on their favourite bench. They'd been out there for an hour, just sitting there, close to each other, talking about everything. Sora had told Tai about Kyoko's 'obsession' with him, which made him laugh.   
  
"Someone obsessed with me? That's a riot," Tai said.   
  
"Yeah, but we all know that Kyoko's a bit of a psycho," Sora laughed. "We're making that proposition thing tomorrow at lunch."  
  
"And...?" Tai prompted.  
  
"I'm scared shitless," Sora admitted. "We have everything ready, we even rehearsed in front of you today."  
  
"And you were great," he put in.  
  
"But will Mr. Morimoto think the same? I just don't know..." Sora trailed off.   
  
"Hey, come on, you know you'll be great," Tai assured her, giving Sora's shoulder a squeeze. "Everything's going to be great."  
  
"Easier said than done Tai," Sora muttered. "I'm gonna freeze up, I know it."  
  
"You didn't when you talked to him yesterday," Tai pointed out.   
  
Sora muttered something barely audiable and accepted a kiss from Tai. She wasn't feeling well again, and kinda wanted to stay inside that day, but decided the fresh air might be good for her. It wasn't helping much. Her head groggy and everything seemed blurry. This whole presentation thing was stressing her out, not to mention still feeling sick. Sora closed her eyes and felt like she'd fall asleep.  
  
"Tai? I don't feel so good," Sora groaned.  
  
Tai felt her forehead. "You're freezing," he said, before Sora leapt to her feet and threw up in a nearby garbage can. When she'd finished puking, Tai put his arm around her and let her lean on him. "Let's go home. It's late."  
  
Sora winced as she straightened up. This was hell for her, being sick and all. Sora was grateful to the Kamiyas for letting her stay with them; she knew Tai enjoyed having her over. But deep inside her she wished her mom would come home so she could curl up on the couch and have her lunch there and watch TV, like she usually did when she was sick. One of the few things her mom understood about Sora was that she liked to be lazy when she wasn't feeling well, much like anyone else.   
  
She walked with Tai back to his apartment, and as soon as she got there she went to bed, no questions asked, even though it was barely eight thirty. After what seemed like an eternity, Sora fell into a fitful sleep.   
  
WEDNESDAY 2:34 AM  
  
Sora sat bolt upright in bed, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It had been horrible. Sora was sitting in the principal's office, giving the presentation, and then she saw Mr. Morimoto flip her the bird and say "Forget it," and then he hit a button on his desk and the floor opened up. Sora fell through, and as she looked up, she saw Tai walk in and Kyoko started flirting with him. Tai ignored Kyoko and stared at Sora. Then she saw a set of metal spikes on the floor and her mother with her hands chained to a wall. Then she woke up.   
  
"Sora? Are you okay?"  
  
"I think so Kari," Sora said. "Just a bad dream."   
  
"What was it about?" Kari asked. Sora retold the dream and Kari shuddered. "Want me to get Tai?"  
  
"No," Sora told her. "I'll tell Tai later."  
  
"Tell Tai what later?" Tai had been walking past Kari's room and poked his head in.  
  
"Were you eavesdropping again Tai?" Kari demanded.  
  
"No, I was overhearing," Tai said. He walked in and sat next to Sora. "So, what was it?"  
  
"I had a bad dream. You were in it," Sora said. She told Tai about the dream. "That's all. It really freaked me out."  
  
Tai looked thoughtful for a while. "Let's see... I don't know what Mr. Morimoto's up to there, but I do know there are no holes in his floor. Kyoko, well, I think the fact that she's flirting with me and I'm staring at you means that I'm not interested in anyone but you," Tai said, "which is true, by the way," he added with a smile. "I think the part with the spikes and your mom means that something bad is going to happen to you and it'll seem like there's nothing your mom can do to help you. What do you think?"  
  
Sora and Kari gave Tai funny looks. "Since when did you become a dream interpreter?" Kari asked.   
  
"Very funny Kari. I just think that's what it means," Tai said. "Now, it's 2:30 AM and we all need more sleep." He got up, gave Sora a kiss and went to bed.   
  
Tai flopped over onto his bed and sighed. He couldn't stand Sora being sick anymore. He wanted to pound the guy who brought those drugs into a fine pulp and leave him for the vultures... then again there are no vultures in Odaiba, so that part would have to go. This was just bad. He had to make sure Mr. Morimoto accepted Sora and Kyoko's proposal. Sora and quite a few other girls depended on it.   
  
  
So ends part three. I wonder what Tai's up to... actually, I don't, I know! So ha! R&R s'il vous plait! (That's please for those of you who don't understand French.) 


	4. ~Chapter 4~

WEDNESDAY 8:10 AM   
  
Tai knocked gently on the bathroom door. "Come on Sora, we're gonna be late!"   
  
"Just a minute!" she called back.  
  
"That's what you said ten minutes ago!" Tai told her. "My Mom and Dad have left, and so has Kari!"   
  
"I'm almost ready!"  
  
Tai sighed and leaned against the wall, but he was smiling. This is what it's like living with Sora, huh? Tai thought. God, he loved her, with all his heart, but he was glad that soon her mom would be home and Sora could go home too. She needed the stability that being a temporary resident can't offer. Someday, he knew he wanted to spend every day with Sora... but not now. Maybe in college...   
  
His thoughts were broken by Sora leaving the bathroom. She looked pretty much just like she always did, maybe a little more makeup than usual. Either way, Tai thought she was beautiful.   
  
"You look great," Tai said, smiling. "Now, let's get outta here, or we'll be late."  
  
Tai locked the apartment door behind them and they took the elevator down to the parking lot. Tai's car was waiting to take them to school, as usual, the driver's side door was stuck, as usual, but Tai and Sora had a lovely ride to school, which was spiced up nicely with a short stop at a deserted park to make out for a while.   
  
Sora brushed her hair back into place and stuck the brush in her backpack when they arrived at school. Tai was about to get out of the car, but she stopped him. "I'm still freaked out about this meeting."  
  
"You'll be awesome," Tai assured her. "You and Kyoko will blow Mr. Moriomot out of the water, and then you'll find out who did this and everything will go back to normal." He leaned over and kissed Sora tenderly on the lips. "I believe in you."  
  
Sora smiled weakly at Tai and put her hand on the door. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria when we're done, okay?"   
  
"No problem," Tai said. They got out of the car and walked hand in hand up to the school.   
  
11:30 AM  
  
It was lunchtime, and Tai walked Sora down to the office to meet Kyoko. As they approached the office, Tai could feel Sora's hand trembling as it gripped his own. Her eyes were fixed on her destination, not looking at anything around her. It was the look she had whenever she was scared out if her wits -- Tai remembered it from the numerous battles in DigiWorld.   
  
"Hey, Sora, don't be scared," Tai murmured, putting his hands on her shoulders.   
  
Sora gave Tai a funny look. "That dream keeps coming back," she whispered. "Something about Mr. Morimoto that just isn't right. I don't really trust him."  
  
"It'll be okay," Tai comforted, pulling his girlfriend into a warm hug. "Now, there's Kyoko. You two go in there and make a killer presentation."   
  
Sora shifted her backpack on her shoulder and went to where Kyoko was standing.   
  
"Ready to go?" Kyoko asked Sora.   
  
Sora nodded. Papers in hand, Kyoko and Sora entered Mr. Morimoto's office. He was leaned back in his chair, looking rather casual, as Kyoko and Sora began their presentation.   
  
"Well?" Sora said, when they were done.   
  
"I think it's an interesting propsition girls," he said, a strangely smug smile on his face.   
  
Kyoko felt fidgety. She gave Sora a funny look. "You want time to think about it or something?" Kyoko asked the principal.   
  
"Yes, I believe I'll think about it for a while," Mr. Morimoto said, still with that strange atmosphere around him.   
  
"Okay, then we'll see you later," Sora said, getting up and turning the doorknob. It was locked. "Um, the door's locked."  
  
"I know," he said. "You two don't have to leave."  
  
"We kinda have to go to lunch, and our classes," Kyoko said nervously.  
  
"No you don't," Mr. Morimoto said. "You two can stay right here with me."  
  
12:20 PM  
  
Tai tapped his foot on the floor nervously. "Where is she?" he asked for the millionth time that day.   
  
"I don't know, Tai," Matt answered, also for the millionth time. He was getting irritated with Tai. "Why don't you go look for her?"  
  
"I did, she's nowhere." Tai shoved the plastic fork around in the french fry box in an attempt to retrieve one last fry. He finally got frustrated and picked up the box, dumping the offending fry into his mouth. "I hope she's okay."  
  
"Maybe the presentation's taking longer than they expected," Matt suggested. "You could go check in on her and Kyoko."   
  
"I think I'll do that," Tai said, jumping up and going towards the door. He forgot that he was sitting on a bench, not a chair, and fell flat on his face. Matt and about thirty other people burst out laughing, but Tai ignored them and got up. He walked calmly out of the cafeteria, and down the short hallway to the office.   
  
"Hello Tai, what brings you here?" the secretary asked cheerfully.   
  
"I was just wondering if Sora's done speaking with the principal," Tai said.   
  
"No, she and Kyoko haven't left the office yet. I'm sure you could probably check in on them though," she told him.   
  
Tai turned the knob on the door. "It's locked."   
  
"That's odd," the secretary noted. She knocked on the door. Muffled noises were heard, one of them Tai recognized as Sora.   
  
"That sounds like Sora in there," Tai said.   
  
"Tai! Open the door!" Sora's voice called.  
  
"Do you have keys to the office?" Tai asked. She shook her head. Tai jiggled the doorknob, unsucessful again. He started kicking at the door, slamming against it, trying to break it down, but to no avail. A lightbulb went on in his head a few minutes later. "Go to the shop and get me a file or a chisel," he instructed. The secretary bolted out of the office.   
  
Tai could still hear muffled cries for help from the other side of the door, from both Sora and Kyoko, and a somewhat angry male voice that must have been Mr. Morimoto. "Sora, what's going on?" Tai asked.  
  
It sounded as though Sora was crying as she answered, "Just get me out of here! Please!"   
  
"Don't worry Sora, we're figuring something out. Hold on, okay? I'll get you out, promise," Tai assured her.   
  
A janitor walked by the office and Tai pounced on him. "Do you have keys to Mr. Morimoto's office?"  
  
"No, I don't," the janitor said. "Sorry."   
  
"Dammit," Tai said under his breath.   
  
The secretary returned with an assortment of chisels. Tai grabbed the first one he could and proceeded to pop the pins out of the hinges of the door. The middle one was a toughie, but he got it.   
  
"Ingenius, Tai," the secretary said.   
  
Tai shoved the door over to the side and scanned the room for Sora. He saw papers on the floor, and another sight that was truly disturbing. "Call the police," he told the secretary, "right now." 


	5. ~Chapter 5~

Hi! It's me again. This came out kinda fast didn't it? I'm writing more than I thought I would, so, yeah, here's Chapter 5 of I Promise. There's a note at the bottom from me, and I suggest you read it.  
  
D/C: Although I wish I did, I own nothing. :-(  
  
~*~**~*~  
  
WEDNESDAY 1:34 PM  
  
Tai rocked Sora gently in his arms as they stood near the secretay's desk. The police had arrived about an hour earlier and arrested Mr. Morimoto for sexual assault. Then they'd interrogated everyone there: Mr. Morimoto, Tai, Sora, Kyoko, and the secretary. Every question Sora was asked seemed to make her even more upset, until she was crying into Tai's shoulder.   
  
Kyoko walked away from the police when they were done talking to her and went to see Sora. She put a hand on Sora's shoulder and Sora looked up at Kyoko's own tearstained face. "Sora..."  
  
Sora said nothing and the two girls embraced, crying again. Tai leaned against the desk and watched Sora intently. One good had come of this incident: Sora had made a new friend. Eventually Sora broke away. "I wish this didn't happen," she sobbed.   
  
"Me too," Kyoko sniffed. "They're not going to stop bugging us with questions, you know."  
  
"Yeah," Sora said.   
  
"But at least we stopped him," Kyoko said, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Actually, I think Tai's more of a hero," Sora smiled.  
  
"Me? Huh?" Tai stammered.  
  
"Yeah. You got us out of there, and had the police called," Sora said. "I can't thank you enough."  
  
"Me neither," Kyoko agreed.   
  
"Um, well, you're welcome," Tai said.   
  
The secretary came over to them. "I excused the three of you from your afternoon's classes. The police want you three to go home and they'll contact you. Plus, this." She handed a pamphlet to Sora and Kyoko. "There's the names of several support groups in there, and other stuff that's useful. Trust me."  
  
"You seem to know a lot about this," Sora said. "Why?"  
  
She sighed. "Because it happened to me, when I was your age. A family friend. Unfortunately for me, nobody belived me when I finally told someone," their secretary told the girls. "You get some rest now."   
  
"Bye," Sora called as she and Tai left the office. Kyoko stayed behind to call her parents.   
  
In the foyer at the front of the school, Sora broke down and began crying all over again. "Tai... I don't want to tell my mom."   
  
"Oh, Sora, you have to," Tai said, taking her in his arms again. "The police will call to follow up, and she has to know why they're calling."  
  
"Okay..." Sora trailed off. "Let's go home."  
  
THURSDAY 2:45 PM  
  
"Sora!"  
  
"Mom!"   
  
Sora embraced her mother as she got off the plane. There were no why-aren't-you-at-school lectures from Ms. Takenouchi, just hugs and welcome back's. Tai had convinced Sora to call her mother and tell her everything, and Sora agreed with her mom when she suggested coming home right away. The Thursday flight was the closest she could get to teleporting back home.   
  
Tai hung back as the Takenouchi's reunited. He'd stayed home all day with Sora, and now to see Sora's smile as she hugged her mom was wonderful. Sora had been under a dark raincloud ever since the previous day, and it made Tai happy to see her like this.   
  
"All right, enough mushy stuff, let's go," Tai prompted. Airports gave him a creepy feeling under his skin.   
  
3:30 PM  
  
"Sora, I want you to tell me everything from the beginning," Ms. Takenouchi said when they'd gotten back. She, Sora, and Tai were in the living room and Tai held Sora's hand reassuringly.   
  
Sora closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "Shortly after you left, there was a school dance that Tai and I went to together. Everything was great, until around eight o'clock. After that, I can't remember much."  
  
"Sora started acting rather strange," Tai continued, responding to the look Sora's mom gave him. "She seemed really sick and kept stumbling and slurring her words, as if she was drunk. Then she passed out.   
  
"I took Sora home then, and just in case she woke up, I stayed over. Then I spent most of the weekend here because she was still sick. She threw up a lot. I finally convinced her to let me take her to the doctor, who suspected a type of date rape drug," Tai said. "A few tests confirmed it. Then she suspected me of doing it, which I didn't. We figure now that Mr. Morimoto was the culprit."  
  
Sora took over. "I talked to another girl who had been sick that weekend. She had the same symptoms as me, and sure enough, the same stuff was in her system. At first, we suspected a student, we talked to Mr. Morimoto about it, and set a date for us to present a plan to talk to everyone about it. That date was yesterday. The presentation went off without a hitch, and he said he'd think about it. When we went to leave, the door was locked. That's when..." Tears came to Sora's eyes again. "That's when he tried to... both of us..." Sora couldn't bring herself to say the word, and she started crying again. Tai put his arm around Sora's shoulder to console her.  
  
"And where do you come into this, Tai?" Ms. Takenouchi asked.  
  
"I was getting worried when lunch was almost over and Sora still hadn't come back, so I went to check in on her. When I noticed the door was locked, I had a funny feeling," Tai said. "I heard Sora's voice on the other side of the door, and she called to me to open the door. Since it was locked I couldn't, but I had an idea. I sent the secretary to get a chisel from the shop and I knocked the hinges out."  
  
"Very smart idea," Ms. Takenouchi mused.  
  
"We watched Ever After the night before," Sora added. Silence. "I don't want to tell this part Tai. Can you?"  
  
(A/N: This part is really hard for me to write. I don't really want to, but I have to. It's not that bad, I know, but it's difficult for me to describe the image I have in my head, so don't bug me.)  
  
"I'll try." Tai bit his lower lip. "I managed to break into the office, and what I saw was Mr. Morimoto... well, he was pretty much feeling up Kyoko, and it looked as thought Sora had been through that too. There were obvious signs of a struggle, and well..." Tai closed his eyes for a second. "He had their skirts off... and... I told the secretary to call the police. They arrested Mr. Morimoto and interrogated all of us, and then we were sent home. I'm sure Mr. Morimoto spent last night in jail."  
  
"So what did you and Sora do?" Ms. Takenouchi asked.   
  
"She called you first. Since she was sick, she'd been staying at my apartment with me and my family," Tai said, "but she wanted to be home, so I stayed with here last night. She banished me to the kitchen and locked herself in her room almost all night. Later she came out, I made dinner and we talked about anything but the day's events. Then she went back to her room again, and I didn't see her until five in the morning when she decided she wanted to talk and woke me up."  
  
"I didn't sleep at all last night," Sora admitted. "I must have slept about an hour, the rest of the time I stared at the ceiling. Tai wasn't annoyed at all when I woke him up at five, and we talked until sunrise."  
  
"It sounds as though you took care of Sora for the past week," Ms. Takenouchi said to Tai.  
  
"Well, yeah, I did," Tai answered. "I had to."  
  
"And why would that be?"  
  
"I promised Sora I'd take care of her," Tai said matter-of-factly.   
  
"And he did a very good job too," Sora murmured, leaning her head on Tai's shoulder.   
  
6:40 PM  
  
Tai stayed for dinner, at Sora and Ms. Takenouchi's request. Then a touchy subject was brought up.  
  
"Are you going to school tomorrow Sora?" Ms. Takenouchi asked.   
  
Sora's foot dropped back to the floor as she ceased playing footsie with Tai. "I... I don't know."   
  
"I'm gonna have to," Tai said. "Mom won't let me skip that much school unless I'm deathly ill."  
  
Sora poked at her food absent-mindedly. "I know I'm gonna have to go back... but I'd rather it not be until Monday, at the least," she said.   
  
"That's okay Sora," her mother told her. "You don't have to go back until you're ready."  
  
"I'll keep you updated with school stuff," Tai offered.   
  
Sora smiled weakly. "Thanks... Mom, I'm not very hungry anymore." Sora quickly got up from the table and bolted to her room.   
  
"Sora," Ms. Takenouchi called after her daughter, standing up to follow Sora. Tai stopped her.  
  
"I'll go," he said. "Don't worry, nothing'll happen."  
  
Tai gently knocked on Sora's door. A muffled "Go Away" came from within.  
  
"It's Tai," he said.   
  
A pause, then a "Come In," was heard. Tai slowly entered Sora's room and closed the door behind him.   
  
Sora was sitting cross-legged on her bed with a thick, bumpy scrapbook open on her lap. A box was next to her, along with scissors, glue, and tape. Tai went over and sat across from her.   
  
"I suppose you'd see this sooner or later," Sora said. "It's my Book."  
  
"What kind of book?" Tai inquired.  
  
"My Book. Book with a capital 'B,' and until now, nobody's seen it except me," Sora told Tai.   
  
"This is what you've been working on?"   
  
"Yup."  
  
"Can I see?"   
  
"Yeah, come here," Sora said, moving the box and supplies to her night table so Tai could come sit next to her. They leaned against her pillows as Sora went back to the beginning of her Book. The cover said, in simple letters written in silver pen, "Sora," with her birthdate and a dash afterwards. "It's me, in a nutshell... or rather, in photographs, souvenirs, and stories. This is the first picture of me ever taken." A picture of a sleeping baby in a yellow knitted hospital hat was in the middle of the page. "Then there's a copy of my birth announcement. Everything else on here is a first for me: a lock of hair from my first haircut ever, a footprint from one of my first steps, and me with my first soccer ball..." Sora smiled. "Mom kept all this stuff and gave it to me about a month ago, and I didn't know what to do with it until now."   
  
She turned the page. "That's me and my dad," she whispered, pointing to a picure of a tall man with the same colour hair as Sora holding a baby in his arms. He had a warm smile and laughing eyes. "I don't remember him very well. He died when I was so little... I think I was five. This is one of the few pictures I have of him. And here's a cassette of my song... something Dad wrote when I was a few months old. He sang it, mom recorded it, and I remember her listening to it after he died and looking very sad." She pulled the tape out of the book, stuck it in the tape deck near her bed and hit play. A man's voice and the sound of a guitar filled the room as a very pretty song.  
  
"It's beautiful," Tai murmured.  
  
"Yeah..." Sora pointed to a scrap of soft yellow fabric stuck to the side of a page. "From my receiving blanket, which I carried around with me for so long I had to say bye-bye to it about three years ago. I kept this corner of it... no particular reason, I just liked it."  
  
Another page. "Hey, that's me!" Tai exclaimed, pointing to a picture of a little brown-haired boy with Sora at a park in the summer.  
  
"Yup. At my seventh birthday party," Sora smiled. "Mom told me how mad I was when you tried to give me a kiss as my birthday present. And this is a poem I wrote in first grade." A faded page was taped into the book, and in a child's script, a short poem about soccer was scrawled. Among the items on the page was a paper napkin with soccer balls on it, also from that birthday, and a report card -- Sora's first ever. The kindergarten teacher had commended her on her painting and her athletic abilities, yet had not-so-positive comments on Sora's behavior. "I was a bad, bad girl. I kept beating up the boys."  
  
"Much like now," Tai said offhandedly, and Sora punched him in the arm. "See what I mean?!"  
  
Next page. "I don't know why I put this stuff after the birthday party... it happened before that. It's all about my dad." Tai examined the page carefully. It had newspaper articles, headlines reading "Prominent Teacher Succombs to Illness," "Odaiba High School Teacher Remembered For 'fun classes and a bright smile,'" and others commending Sora's dad.   
  
"He was a teacher? At our school?" Tai asked.  
  
"Yeah. He taught Science and sometimes Phys. Ed.," Sora answered. "He was the one who gave me my first soccer ball. I always think about him..." Sora blinked back a few tears.   
  
More pictures of Sora followed: years and years of soccer photos, in each one Sora wore a big grin, one thing that remained constant as she grew up. A certificte saying her team had won the championship was on another page, a team photo from that game alongside it. "You were on that team too, Tai." The ten-year-old kid with unruly brown hair stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the kids.   
  
Tai watched Sora grow up all over again as she turned the pages of the book. From happy-go-lucky kid to mature, yet fun-loving teenager, Tai remembered why he adored her so much. Sora was about to flip another page, when he stopped her. "Hold up, what's this from?" Tai asked, fingering a tiny blue paper umbrella one would have in their drink.  
  
"Our first date," Sora smiled. They both remembered it vividly: Both of them were thirteen, and they'd gone down to a cozy beachfront cafe and had sodas and fries on the patio while they watched the sun go down. It was great.   
  
"Ahhh, those were the days," Tai sighed. He leaned his head on Sora's shoulder as she showed him more of the book.   
  
Pictures from graduation were next up, another thing Sora had attended with Tai. Their faces shone in the pictures, happy to be moving on to high school after so long.   
  
Tai's eyes went wide at one shot. "Who took that?"   
  
Sora laughed. "Matt," she said.   
  
Tai grumbled something, but he didn't take his eyes off the picture. Sora and Tai kissing during the dance. A follow-up shot taken later had them dancing, Sora's head on Tai's shoulder and his arms protectively around her waist. "Was Matt the resident photographer that night?" Tai asked.   
  
"Yes," Sora said. "I'm dead serious."   
  
"You kept the corsage!" Tai exclaimed. Sora nodded as she touched the dried flowers pressed into the book, along with the ribbon.   
  
"Here's the pictures from summer vacations," Sora said. A camping trip, soccer and tennis games, hanging out at the park.   
  
"So what are you putting in now?" Tai asked.  
  
"Recent stuff, like the concert and some more soccer games," Sora said.   
  
"Can I help?"   
  
"Sure." Sora grabbed the box, the scissors and glue, and she and Tai proceeded to work more on the Book.  
  
8:30 PM  
  
"... Yep... I'll tell him... okay... bye." Ms. Takenouchi hung up the phone. Mrs. Kamiya had called asking why Tai wasn't home yet. She knocked on the door to her daughter's bedroom, from which neither Sora nor Tai had left. There was no answer.   
  
Ms. Takenouchi pushed open the door to Sora's room and smiled at the sight. Tai and Sora were cuddled next to each other on the bed, the Book at their feet, the now empty box on the floor. Sora was snuggled into Tai's arms as they both slept peacefully. She didn't want to wake the teenagers, so she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the open scrapbook on the end of the bed. A new picture was in there, a Polaroid that was just developing. The most recent picture of Sora and Tai, together as they worked on the Book. Ms. Takenouchi picked up the Polaroid camera and took a picture of the slumbering couple, then left it for them to find. She didn't worry about anything happening then. She trusted Tai to watch over Sora.   
  
After all, he'd promised.   
  
  
~*~**~*~  
  
Here's my little note. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but this is the end of I Promise. *everyone cries* BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! And I need the help of you loyal reviewers for it.  
  
Firstly tell me this: Do You Want A Sequel?   
Secondly, I don't know what the heck should happen if I write one. Therefore, I want all your ideas! Mwah haha! I'll nit-pick them and give you wonderful people credit at the beginning of the story. That is, if you leave your name! I get so many no-name reviews, so put in a name if you have an idea! Merci beaucoup.   
Thirdly, Thank You Very Much for following this story! I appreciate all your reviews.   
Fourthly (is that a word?), review this one!   
  
Au Revoir mes amis,   
~KK~ 


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